Egan Bernal says he’s been through his ‘toughest race’
The 2021 Giro d'Italia winner upbeat after second surgery to address fractured vertebrae.
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After a second surgery on his spine, Egan Bernal took to social media to express gratitude for the support, while looking forward to racing again.
In an Instagram post, the Ineos Grenadiers rider cataloged the long list of his injuries and noted that he’s been through the last of the major surgeries to address some of them.
Bernal noted nearly 20 broken bones, injuries to his hands and fingers, a lost tooth, and perforation of both lungs.
He thanked God for testing him, and his support network for bringing him through what he called his “toughest race.”
An earlier report from the medical team at the Clínica Universidad de la Sabana in Chía, Colombia, indicated that Bernal was recovering well from this latest surgery and that the procedure went without any complication.
“Egan Bernal underwent the surgical procedure that was scheduled,” said hospital’s medical director Juan Guillermo Ortiz Martínez. “The objectives of biomechanical stability of the cervical spine were achieved with excellent clinical results, without presenting complications during surgery.”
“We will continue to monitor his post-operative evolution, working to achieve the best clinical outcomes and the speedy recovery of our patient, through interdisciplinary and humanized care.”
The Ineos Grenadiers rider fractured two vertebrae when he collided with a bus that was discharging passengers while out on a training ride in late January.